Machine for grinding green casein.



L. AXTELL.

:MAGHINE FOR GRINDING GREEN GASBIN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 5. 1908.

Patented July 6, 1909..

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LUCIUS AXTELL, OF DEPOSIT, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FGR GRINDING GREEN CASEIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed August 5, 1908. Serial No. 447,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lucius AXTELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deposit, in the county of Brooms and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Grinding Green Casein, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine designed primarily for grinding casein; and has for its object to provide a simple, positive and easily constructed apparatus for reducing to a granular form green casein curd, a very hard and tough substance made from fermented skimmed milk.

Numerous devices have been tried to grind or break casein, but, as far as known Without commercial success; machines capable of crushing stone coal etc. have been broken in pieces when operating on casein in its gluey or horny condition, the state in which it is fed to the present machine.

l/Vith these ends in view the invention consists in a general way of a frame supporting a fixed cylindrical casing or hopper into which latter projects a vertically disposed revoluble shaft carrying a conical grinder provided with a roughened exterior cutting grinding or grating surface which surface acts on the casein and reduces it to granular, and a more or less pulverulent condition. The reduced. casein is carried by suitable means from the grinding mechanism to a proper receptacle prepared for its reception.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:--

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus, Fig. 2 a top plan View with certain parts broken away to more clearly present the invention, and Fig. 3 a perspective view of the bottom plate of the hopper.

Similar reference characters are used for the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawing, the main frame A com- I rises two upright posts 1 connected at their lbwer ends by a cross-bar 2 and intermediate their lengths by two parallel cross-bars 3. A foot support 4 is fastened to the lower end of each upright post 1 at a right angle to the lower cross-bar 2.

Supported on the intermediate cross-bars 3 is a cylindrical casing or hopper 5, diametrically disposed between the upper ends of the posts 1 and fastened rigidly thereto by bolts 6. The bottom 7 of the casing or hopper is smooth within and has a central hub 8 through which is made a hole 8 to serve as a bearing for a vertical shaft 10, the lower end of which is mounted in a step bearing 11 bolted to the bottom cross bar 2.

Besides the shaft hole 8 in the casing orhopper bottom 8, a larger opening 9 is made therethrough for the escape of the ground casein. Fastened on the under side of the bottom below the opening 9 is a spout 16 for carrying the material beyond the frame there to fall into a suitable receptacle.

Within the casing or hopper 5 is fixedly supported on the upper end of the vertical shaft 10 a cone-shaped grinder 12, the bottom 13 of which travels in close relation to the wall and smooth face of the bottom 7 of the casing or hopper 5. The grinder 12 is made preferably of closely perforated sheet steel, each perforation 14 having roughened edges 011 its outside, thereby forming a grinding, cutting or scraping surface. Within the grinding cone 12 is a concentrically disposed smooth surfaced cone 15 rigidly attached to the bottom 13 of the grinder, said bottom being formed with large openings 17 therethrough separated by radial ribs or spokes 18.

Oppositely disposed plates or abutments 19 are fastened to the vertical wall of the easing or hopper 5 to prevent the material in said casing from rotating when the grinder is turned.

Motion may be imparted to the grinder by a sprocket chain and wheels, worm gearing, or other convenient means.

The operation is simple and readily understood. The material to be ground is placed in the casing or he per, motion having first been imparted to t is conical grinder, which latter by means of the roughened edges of the perforations cuts into said material and re moves small particles therefrom that fall through said perforations onto the smooth surfaced cone below and from thence into the large openings in the bottom of the grinder. The ribs or spokes of the bottom carry the separated material, as the grinder revolves, toward the outlet in the bottom of the hop or through Which outlet the granular particles fall onto the spout and are de livered thence to a suitable receptacle. The plates 19 Within the casing hold the material immovable.

Besides casein, the apparatus is adapter to grind fruit, vegetables and other materials.

The construction herein described and illustrated in the drawing represents the best form of the apparatus at present known, but the right is reserved to make changes and alterations in its structure Within the scope of the claims.

hat is claimed is:

1. A grinding machine comprising a casing having a bottom with an outlet opening, a hollow conical grinder in the casing, the base of the grinder traveling in close proximity to the Wall and. the bottom of the casing, said grinder having a bottom provided with an annular discharge opening, a conical deflector in the grinder, surrounded at its base by the aforesaid annular discharge opening, and arms extending across the annular discharge opening, and Working in close proximity to the casing bottom for carrying the ground material over the casing bottom to the outlet opening thereof.

2. A grinding machine comprising a casing having a bottom With an outlet opening, a

hollow grinder Working in the casing, the

base of said grinder traveling in close proximity to the Wall and the bottom of the casing, said grinder having a bottom provided With a discharge opening, radial arms extending across said. opening and Working in close proximity to the casingbottomtor carrying the material to the outlet opening therein, and a deflector inside the grinder for directing the material to the discharge opening in the bottom thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

LUCIUS AXTELL.

Witnesses LEONARD GRANssUnY, L. A. CURTIS. 

